Christmas hope for 2020

A simple challenge to not purchase books for a year so I can meet some financial goals seems to have taken on a life of its own. As I was clearing out some old papers and planner kits, I decided to create my DAILY LIFE PLANNER & my FAITH JOURNAL for 2021 from what I had on hand … As I was going through the plethora of planner kits & stickers & accessories, and as I began to create/assemble my 2021 planner & journal, I came across some journal entries from December 2018.

That month was the most difficult & bittersweet, most ugly kind of beautifully blessed season of my life … You see, I was on a night watch rotation as my grandmother was nearing death. The nights were agonizing, to say the least … and in the wee morning hours, I would watch to see if she was still breathing. I didn’t want her to go. We’d been through so much together … and I considered it a devastating honour to be with her in those final days. As she slept, I would read. Pray. Watch her breathe. Get a brief nap or two. And I would write. I struggled to find lasting comfort in the words spoken by all who reached out via Facebook, texts, calls, or visits. All I could surmise was that my Grannaw was about to be gone, and I had many regrets … However, In the midst of my greatest grief, I found one Source of comfort. The Word of God. I wasn’t reading long passages. I wasn’t reading verses in context. I wasn’t reading in an orderly fashion. I was being selective. Although, I’ve been told that’s wrong to do because I can risk being in error, I found HOPE. I found COMFORT. It wasn’t the HOPE & COMFORT that made the grief less painful. It wasn’t hope & comfort that made that particular season of life amazing, either! Quite frankly, the grief was raw & life was anything but amazing! In fact, December 2018 … life just sucked. I’d never been beside someone who was dying … and I sure had never seen anyone who had gone into their final sleep before death, as my grandmother had done. I’d never had to give morphine to anyone before, and I wondered with every dose I had to give “am I killing my grandmother” …

    The hope & comfort that I found made life bearable.
        It made those final days of her life tolerable.
            It made getting out of bed doable.
                It made cleaning the homes of my clients doable.
                    It made being able to breathe possible.

As I have re-read through my journal notes from December 2018, I can’t help but think of the effects of 2020. COVID19. The rioting. The loss. The devastation. The fear & anxiety. The suicide rates. The election mayhem. The personal struggles. The lack of faith. The lack of resources. It’s overwhelming! And once again, through these passages … I find HOPE & COMFORT. I find hope & comfort in the fact that I know the King of kings. The LORD of lords … who speaks peace to His child when the storm rages wildly. My faith has been on rocky ground this year, I won’t deny that. All that seemed right now seems so terribly wrong. Through it all, I’m starting to realize that to maintain the hope & comfort, I must run to the Father again & again & again & again.

What are some of the passages that ministered to my hurting heart then?
What are some of the passages that can continue to minister words of grace & hope & comfort as 2020 comes to a close & 2021 dawns?

{While I was with my grandmother, I used the King James Bible; however, I am using various translations here because it gives a depth to the verses that one translation alone cannot give.}

Revelation 21:3-7 [The Message Bible] “I heard a voice from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people; He’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good - tears gone, crying gone, pain gone - all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down - each word dependable and accurate.” Then He said, “It’s happened. I’m A to Z. I’m the Beginning. I’m the Conclusion. From Water-of-Life Well I give freely to the thirsty. Conquerors inherit all this. I’ll be God to them, they’ll be sons and daughters to Me.”

Psalm 34:17-19, 22 [New King James Version] “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all … The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”

Psalm 147:3, 11 [English Standard Version] “He [the LORD] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds … the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 [The Message Bible] “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy!  God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

Isaiah 41:10 [The Message Bible] “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”

Psalm 18:28, 30, 46 [English Standard Version] “For it is You who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness … This God - His way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him … The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation - “

Romans 8:18 [New King James Version] “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Psalm 119:50 [The Message Bible] “These words hold me up in bad times; yes, Your promises rejuvenate me.”
[New King James Bible] “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.”

Psalm 121 [The Message Bible] “I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from GOD, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep. GOD’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you - shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moon stroke. GOD guards you from every evil, He guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, He guards you now, He guards you always.”

I don’t know what you are dealing with as 2020 closes. Loss of friends or family through death. Loss of relationships. Loss of jobs. Loss of all you’ve known to identify yourself with. I understand the weight of the burden, Friend. I’ve been reminded tonight (12/12/2020) that our LORD is still faithful. Our LORD is still good. He’s using all things for our good & for His glory. If you are in the same boat I am in tonight & you feel like you are trying to figure out who you are because the rug has been pulled out from under you, may I suggest for us both that we need to find our identity in one Source. Christ Jesus … and then we need to live according to THAT one identity. No matter what the stock markets do, no matter who accepts us or rejects us, no matter what job we may/may not have … our identity cannot be found in what we do, who we are related to, who we are best friends with, or even the church we attend … our identity must be in Jesus. No matter what 2021 holds, I pray that you & I will both find our rest, our hope, our comfort, our identity in Jesus alone. He is the ONLY way we can survive this life with an unspeakable joy & with a peace that passes all understanding.

A Pilgrim still headed towards the Celestial City!
Soli Deo Gloria!